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Haynes brings new hobby gaming manual to the table

Release date
30th January 2018

Author
Matt Thrower

Publication
Wednesday, 17 January, 2018

RRP
£22.99

Format
Hardcover

ISBN
9781785211492

30 January 2018: With sales of hobby board games rising in double digits year-on-year, and board game cafés springing up across Britain, and in Europe and America, tabletop gaming has enjoyed a huge resurgence.

To celebrate the booming trend - which defies the rise of smartphones, social media and computer gaming - a new Haynes manual has been written aimed at helping and inspiring budding players as they find their way into an intriguing and multi-faceted pastime.

TheTabletop Gaming Manual is a comprehensive, fully-illustrated guide to all aspects of tabletop gaming, from popular and traditional games, through to modern board games, role-playing and miniatures.

Aimed at those looking to get into gaming or those just starting out, as well as more experienced players, the manual is full of practical advice to aid the enjoyment of games.

Written by gaming enthusiast and journalist Matt Thrower, the manual contains numerous photos of games and gaming components to help those new to the hobby appreciate creative, artistic and tactile aspects of gaming.

Matt said: “Tabletop gaming allows people to immerse themselves in new or fantastical worlds, and become engrossed in tactical battles with friends or family.

“Tabletop gaming has gone from strength to strength, with more and more players participating each year. The variety of games on offer is one of the hobby’s main appeals - there is something for everyone, and no two experiences are ever the same.”

Content from the manual includes:

A history of board games, ancient and modern

A brief overview of the hottest games on the market

How to pick, purchase and put away games for your collection

A hands-on guide to expanding and improving game components

Step-by-step guides to painting, modelling and sculpting your own miniatures

An exploration and explanation of popular gameplay mechanics

Designing and publishing your own games and variants.

Matt Thrower continued: “While there are specialist books out there, nothing else covers such a wide range of topics – designed to help those with little or no existing knowledge of tabletop gaming.”

Discussing his inspiration for the book, Matt said: “When I was younger it was a book on Dungeons and Dragons, which I came about by chance, that got me into a life of hobby gaming, and I haven’t looked back. My hope is that this book can similarly open the way to a lifetime of joy for others.”

Matt Thrower has been writing professionally since 2012, blogging since 2006 and playing tabletop games since he could talk. His blog, fortressat.com, has a niche audience but has also been cited as a starting point by several of today's foremost tabletop writers, including the minds behind Shut Up & Sit Down.

His work on the subject has appeared in numerous print and online articles including The Guardian, PC Gamer, GamesRadar and Mac Life.

Note to editors

The information on this page is supplied courtesy of Haynes Publishing, please credit accordingly if you intend to use it. For more information or to request a review copy please contact:

Haynes Publishing has been the world's leading publisher of illustrated workshop car manuals and motorcycle manuals since 1965. In that time Haynes has evolved and so have its Manuals to now include a wide range of automotive, sport, leisure, military and lifestyle subjects. Haynes also has licenses to publish Manuals with NASA, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, Star Wars, Star Trek and others. Haynes publishing also offers its more recent car and motorcycle manuals through online subscription, Manuals Online was launched in 2010 and offers colour imagery, video and is accessible through computer or tablet via an internet connection.